WalletHub released its 2024 edition of the Best States to Live In, Aug. 12. The ranking is informed by an analysis comparing states on 51 key indicators of livability, including the quality of public hospitals, premature death rate and share of uninsured population.
WalletHub compared the 50 states across five dimensions of livability: affordability; economy; education and health; quality of Life; and safety. Each dimension was weighted at 20 points to inform states’ overall scores.
Massachusetts has the lowest premature death rate in the country and the lowest share of adults in fair or poor health. It also has the highest share of residents with health insurance coverage (97.3%), according to WalletHub. While Florida’s healthcare and education ranked in the middle, it was buoyed overall due to its low unemployment rate (2.9%) and other economic factors like job opportunities per capita and median household income growth.
Below are the 15 best and 15 worst states to live in, organized by their overall rank with their ranking for health and education in parentheses. Find the complete listing from WalletHub here.
15 best
1. Massachusetts (1)
2. Florida (24)
3. New Jersey (9)
4. Utah (4)
5. New Hampshire (2)
6. Idaho (31)
7. Pennsylvania (19)
8. Wisconsin (8)
9. New York (18)
10. Wyoming (28)
11. Virginia (12)
12. Iowa (15)
13. Minnesota (11)
14. Maine (14)
15. Montana (10)
15 worst
36. Texas (38)
37. Kentucky (34)
38. Alabama (46)
39. Hawaii (6)
40. West Virginia (45)
41. Arizona (44)
42. Oregon (26)
43. South Carolina (40)
44. Oklahoma (50)
45. Mississippi (49)
46. Nevada (43)
47. Alaska (37)
48. Arkansas (42)
49. New Mexico (47)
50. Louisiana (48)
